NFASP joins government ministers in talks over plans for empty shops
The Secretary for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, hosted a ‘town centre summit’ with Secretary for Culture, Andy Burnham and the Leader of Stockport Borough Council last month, to discuss plans to reverse the decline of the high street. Attended by senior representatives from the retail sector, planning, property, business and NFASP Director Val Millington, the summit and associated publication received widespread media coverage.
At an invitation only seminar ministers outlined measures to tackle the decline of Britain’s town centres during the current economic climate. Up to £3million will be made available for communities to respond with innovative and creative ways to reverse the trend and identify ways to re-use empty shops that are appearing at an alarming rate in Britain’s high streets.
Empty shops have a negative impact and generate all sorts of problems for town centre managers. Ministers called for new ways of using them that will in turn help to restore confidence and keep town centres thriving.
“Empty shops can be eyesores or crime magnets. Our ideas for reviving town centres will give communities the know how to temporarily transform vacant premises into something innovative for the community- a social enterprise, a showroom for local artists or an information centre,” said Hazel Blears.
NFASP responded to the debate with the idea of using the vacant shops as temporary workspace for artists where such facilities don’t currently exist. The Federation also highlighted that, whilst empty shops can be used effectively as exhibition spaces, affordable artists’ studios are needed as places for artists to create art in the first place and are an essential part of our cultural infrastructure. The Federation has recently been working on a pilot project in Wandsworth, south west London. In this example, forty newly-graduated artists were able to take up a first studio space at an affordable rate on leaving college in order to develop their practice. Read more
The Federation welcomes the new initiatives and is very keen to work with ministers in identifying practical steps to help local authorities and landlords, as well as artists, to create innovative and mutually beneficial spaces to contribute to reinvigorating the high street.
“We are aware there is an acute need for affordable, secure, permanent workspace for artists right across the country. Nevertheless, the availability of vacant shops offers an exciting opportunity to show the value of creative activity on our high streets. The NFASP is developing guidance for artists’ studio groups, local authorities and retailers on how to make the best use of such spaces and how to develop workspace strategies for the long-term. We hope such projects can pave the way for artists to secure permanent studios at the heart of our towns and communities. “ said Val Millington, Director of NFASP.
This initiative combines with a whole package of measures announced by the Government to encourage new uses and included relaxing planning rules to allow changes of use which are often lengthy and complex. This would allow an empty shop to be turned into an artist’s studio or art gallery with greater speed and flexibility. A new specimen type of legal document that landlords could use for temporary occupiers would be generated to reduce the costly burden of producing new agreements. All these and other new guidelines are being published in a practical guide Looking After Our Town Centre which can be found at www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/towncentres.
Further details of the £3 million fund will follow in due course. Check the NFASP website for details.
Date posted: 21st April 2009